1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an add-on/detachable motor winder for a manually operable camera, and more particularly, to a winder for a manually operable 6.times.6 medium format camera, such as the Hasselblad models 500c and 500c/m.
2. Description of Related Art
Camera motor winders and drives became well-known in the early 1960's, after which most professional and amateur 35 mm and only some medium format 6.times.6 cm cameras were designed with provisions for motor winders or drives couplable to the camera. However, cameras designed in the 1950's were basically manually operated. Motor drives or winders were novel and not practiced, and especially in the area of the 6.times.6 cm medium format cameras like the Hasselblad models 500c and 500c/m, had no provision for motor winder/drive couplability. These cameras have since remained basically unchanged up to the present time.
The above professional Hasselblad 500c and 500c/m cameras are full-manual types, i.e. manual film advance, mirror and shutter charging, etc. The manufacturers of these types of cameras do not or have not been able to supply a suitable, practical "add-on" motor winder for these cameras. However, motorized operation has been introduced into the camera line of Hasselblad by yet another different model, e.g. 500EL, 500EL/M or the latest 500ELX, which are based on the "manual only" model 500c/m, but with a motorized compartment box integrated at the base thereof as a single unit.
These motorized cameras have not been completely satisfactory due to the overall size of the cameras being bulky making the holding and handling thereof awkward, especially when the camera is combined with various other attachments, for example an electronic flash device. Another drawback for these motorized cameras is that there is no manual over-ride of the motor-driven functions in the event of battery failure.
At Photo '85, the Photo-District News show for professionals held in New York in November, 1985, a motor winder attachment, notably the Prowinder 500, was offered as an add-on feature for Hasselblad 500c/m cameras, for advancing the film by a contained motor. This winder is similar to the Mamiya 645 power winder. The Prowinder 500's overall configuration is a rigid L-shape, consisting of a handle part, in which is located the coupling connections to the camera film winding mechanism, and a large rectangular base compartment for locking the winder to the camera's tripod socket. This base compartment holds the batteries, electric motor and reduction gear system and as such, necessarily increases the bulk and height of the camera, which, unfortunately, inconveniences the focusing of the lenses attached to the camera body (the camera being designed such that focusing may be easily adjusted by the photographer's left hand while the camera is being held in that hand). The weight of the base compartment of this winder adds more weight to camera and relocates the center of gravity of the camera thereby adding greater pivotal moments at the handle part. In addition, the indirect nature of gearing and coupling to the Hasselblad 500c/m camera makes the winder configuration undesirably complicated, relatively inefficient and unaesthetical. Moreover, this winder has no other provisions for operating other useful features of the 500c/m cameras other than the film winding and mirror/shutter charging.